Bill Smithwick

As Kentucky's largest religious body descends into acrimony and condemnation in a dispute over whether to hire gay employees at an agency for abused children, perhaps members of the Kentucky Baptist Convention could look to a leading authority in Christendom:

Pope Francis, head of the world's Roman Catholic Church.

After all, it was the new pope who rocked the religious world - his own and others - with this simple statement when asked about his view toward gays in the church:

"Who am I to judge them if they're seeking the Lord in good faith?"

But if that's not sufficient for the body's 700,000 Baptists in Kentucky, perhaps the words of the founder of Christianity might resonate:

"Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned."

That's Jesus in the New Testament chastising followers about the hypocrisy of flawed individuals condemning others.

Yet some Baptists seem to have left their Bibles behind in a recent series of actions over whether Sunrise Children's Services should hire gay employees. Sunrise, affiliated with the state Baptist Convention, is a private, non-profit agency and one of the state's major providers of children's services.

Nearly all of its $27 million-a-year budget comes from the state, which pays Sunrise to care for hundreds of children who have experienced abuse and neglect, often severe and damaging. The Baptist church provides about $1 million a year.

Yet despite the fact that Sunrise exists almost exclusively on public funds and serves Kentucky children referred by the state regardless of religious affiliation, the agency has long held a discriminatory policy against hiring gays or lesbians, based on the Baptist convention's religious stance against homosexuality.

So the recent proposal of Sunrise's longtime President Bill Smithwick that the agency drop that long-standing policy was as surprising as it was refreshing.

Reaction was swift and disappointing. The change was denounced by a Baptist convention official who threatened withdrawal of church financial support.

The decision was accepted with grace by Mr. Smithwick, one of the state's leading advocates for children and highly respected among the various non-profit groups in Kentucky that struggle with little money but great passion to serve children abandoned by those supposed to love and care for them.

He said he respected the board's decision and urged those who disagreed nonetheless to join Sunrise in its mission to help "victimized children who need a safe haven."